‘Insipid and embarrassing’ Lyon roasts Dees

THE Melbourne Demons are 0-3 to start the AFL season after a surprise loss to Essendon, where they looked to be in cruise control at half-time.

The Dees led 10.1 (61) to 8.6 (54) at the main break on the back of a six-goal streak finished off by ruckman Max Gawn before Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti cut the margin to seven points.

On the way into the rooms gun midfielder Angus Brayshaw gave an interview where he said the Dees were capable of "beating anyone" when they play well.

At the time they were, but for a team who were 0-2 and struggled badly in losses to Port Adelaide and Hawthorn, it smacked a little bit of arrogance.

And club legend Garry Lyon went to town on the Dees for their attitude, post match.

"It's embarrassing what's happened," Lyon said.

"I don't want to take anything away from Essendon, but I can't help but think they went in at halftime Melbourne and patted themselves on the back.

"Angus Brayshaw gave the interview and said 'we can beat anyone when we play like that'. They've come out here and had an insipid 25 minutes.

"You can't help but think a very cocky Melbourne at halftime are thinking are we going to get smashed, we're going to go 0-3, we're not going to make finals."

Melbourne is winless to start season 2019.

The Essendon surge came in the third quarter - the Bombers seemingly unstoppable as they got on the back of skipper Dyson Heppell, who frequently sent them clear from stoppages and the Bombers kicked seven for the term with two to McDonald-Tipungwuti as the Bombers led 15.6 (96) to 12.3 (75) at the end of the third.

The drama continued in the final term. Kade Kolodjashnij and Jayden Hunt kicked truly for Melbourne to get within 16 before Andrew McGrath hit the target on the run from 25m out. And when teammate Darcy Parish iced a set shot Essendon was ahead by 24 points with less than five minutes remaining and Dees fans were seen leaving the ground having already conceded defeat.

Stringer kicked his fourth major to put the result beyond doubt and Essendon celebrated for the first time in 2019.

Brayshaw walked backed his comments slightly after the match and highlighted that the team has to value their defence much more than what they are currently doing.

"I think the second quarter, for the first time all season we saw a total buy in to team defence," Brayshaw said.

"That's us at our best, when we're all buying in.

"We are not valuing it enough (defence) but we are all in it together it's not just the defenders.

"I think we can get out of it but it's going to take us all buying in."

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has plenty of work to do to get the Demons back on the boiler. Picture: AAP

Dees coach Simon Goodwin cut a forlorn figure at the end of the match and he too was left fuming at aspects of the Dees' performance and took aim at their accountability.

"There are parts of our game that are unacceptable at the moment," Goodwin conceded.

"We're just getting scored against way too easily.

"(But) we're getting beaten at each end of the ground and if you do that you're going to be easy to score against.

"So we've got some work to do in that phase of the game because we're nowhere near the level that's required."

At the end of the round the Dees will have some company with at least one of Carlton or the Sydney Swans likely to be 0-3 for the season, before they meet the Swans at the SCG, next Thursday night.